RetroFret is an American vintage musical instrument

boutique A boutique () is a small shop that deals in fashionable clothing or accessories. The word is French for "shop", which derives ultimately from the Ancient Greek ἀποθήκη (''apothēkē'') "storehouse". The term ''boutique'' and also ''d ...

and repair shop located in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Founded in 1983 by

luthier A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers o ...

Steven Uhrik, RetroFret's early business was primarily musical instrument repair services. In the mid-1990s, the business grew into a moderately stocked showroom that served local, international & professional musicians. By the mid-2000s, the showroom had grown vastly, displaying over 200 instruments & musical artifacts from around the world.

History

RetroFret opened its doors in 1983 in

Gowanus, Brooklyn Gowanus ( ) is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community District 6. Gowanus is bounded by Wyckoff Street on ...

in the defunct headquarters of the

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing animal cruelty. Based in New York City since its inception in 1866, the organization's mission is "to provide effective mea ...

building, which the ASPCA had occupied from 1913 to 1979. RetroFret maintained its home in the historic building until late 2018, when the business moved to

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Carroll Gardens is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Taking up around 40 city blocks, it is bounded by Degraw and Warren Streets (north), Hoyt and Smith Streets (east), Ninth Street or the Gowan ...

Inventory

RetroFret's showroom is considered by many industry professionals to be one of the highest quality, museum-grade inventory displays in the United States. At one point the store had for sale country and honky-tonk musician

Lefty Frizzell William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell (March 31, 1928 – July 19, 1975) was an American country music singer-songwriter and honky-tonk singer. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982. Frizzell released many songs that charted ...

's 1949 Gibson Bigsby J-200, personalized with "Lefty Frizzell" on the pickguard. The guitar sold for $350,000 to country musician

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...

References

{{coord, 40.678204, -74.001724, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-NY, display=title Shops in New York City Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn